Historically, counterfeiting has mainly related to pieces of paper and documents that had a value, such as currency, checks or bonds and also Passports. During the 1990's, counterfeiting spread to pieces of plastic that have a value, such as credit cards or debit cards. Today however, counterfeiting has significantly extended beyond these boundaries into the illegal copying and selling of all kinds of branded goods. Such counterfeit branded products are generally offered together with all the associated labeling and packaging of those goods, so as to make the goods appear as if they were genuinely produced under the legal trade mark of a reputable brand owner.
Many different means of security are available to prevent duplication of packaging films or labels, using special additives, such as taggants, dyes, planchettes, pigments, phosphors, holograms, optically variable devices, special inks (fluorescent inks and other optically variable inks) or printed images that change color. Making alterations to data on packaging and labels is today a well established method that is used to disguise origin, sell-by-dates and product tracking data.
The tracking and tracing of products through the supply chain is usually achieved by means of a label or packaging markings, typically applied by laser, ink jet, hot stamp printing, flexographic, digital, and thermal transfer, and hot stamp printing. This automation of the supply chain brings with it the added threats of alteration or forgery, such as making alterations to data on packaging and labels (so as to change their value). Such forgeries are used to disguise origin, sell-by-dates and product tracking data in order to mask out of date products or make it difficult to identify stolen or diverted goods.
What is needed, therefore, are techniques for authentication of genuine products or packages.